Blog:

The Competitive Advantage

The end of 2019 is in sight. And as it nears, wandering minds turn to the future… and what’s going to happen next year.

As a result, over the next few months, many firms will convene their annual gathering around the conference table and talk about what they want to do in 2020 to grow their business. Unfortunately, these meetings seem to end the same way every year, with a bold directive from the boss… something like, “We want a 20% increase in sales next year… now go get ‘em!” And while that might rally the troops a little (though, I doubt it), it doesn’t provide any real direction or guidance for making that happen.

Many small business owners are often gripped with the fear of “being alone.” Of not having anyone to bounce ideas off of or share concerns with.

In larger firms, there may be key employees or colleagues to share with… but not so much in smaller firms. Masterimnd groups seem to be very popular, but are often full of competitors. And most businesses are too small for a formal Board of Directors. So, what’s the solution?

Is it going to be a good year for you and your firm? Kind of hard to say, as this point, isn’t it? But one thing is sure… you can’t just sit back and hope that something good will happen. You need to grab the bull by the horns and make it a great year!

To help get you started down the path of being proactive, here are 11 proven ideas to consider…

Or “Sales doesn’t work in our industry” or any number of other anti-sales statements. Why is it that so many “old” business owners say those kinds of things? Why is there such a bias against “sales” people?

When I talk to oldsters (I can say that… I’m 60), their feelings about social media are generally like this: LinkedIn is just for job-hunting… Facebook is for looking at pictures of friends & family… and they don’t have any idea what Twitter is about.

Allow me to simplify and make the case for all three of them. Social media platforms are marketing channels through which you can communicate to clients and prospective clients. By doing so on a regular basis, social media allows you to build and maintain a level of awareness in the markets you serve, develop connections and engage with those buyers, and position yourself as a Subject Matter Expert or Thought Leader.

It’s almost the end of 2018. Stop what you’re doing for just a minute and take stock of the year that’s winding down. Have you grown like you wanted… acquired as many new clients as you hoped… launched that new service line you were planning on?

If you answered ‘no’ to any of those questions, then the immediate follow-up is, “So, what are you doing about it?”

And if your answer to that is “I don’t know,” then consider the accepted definition of insanity: “To keep doing the same things over and over… and expecting the outcome to change.”

Webinars continue to be one of the most effective marketing channels in the B2B space. Done right, they can help to establish [and cement] your position as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), define your competitive advantage in the marketplace, build awareness for your firm and – maybe most importantly – generate and nurture qualified sales leads.

But, webinars have more ‘moving parts’ than most marketing tactics. So, to ensure success when you’re delivering them, follow these 7 guidelines (in no particular order, except the first one!):